Eduardo Nájera
|} Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez is a retired Mexican professional basketball player and current head coach of the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. He was known for his rebounding and his tenacity on defense. He attended Cornerstone Christian Academy High School in San Antonio, Texas. Personal Information Eduardo Nájera is only the second NBA player that is Mexican-born. He is a son of Servando Nájera and Rosa Irene Perez. Player Profiles by Interbasket, Eduardo Najera Currently, he and Jennifer, his wife, have a daughter and a son. NBA.com, Eduardo Najera, Bio Page Basketball career Najera playing for the Mavs. Nájera played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma, in Norman, Oklahoma, from 1997-2000, becoming a major star there. He helped the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances during his college career, as well as finishing in the school's all-time top ten in nine statistical categories. Before being drafted into the NBA in 2000, Najera received rave reviews from scouts, who boasted on Najera's quick first step and extraordinary rebounding ability. He is only the second Mexican-born player to join the NBA.NBA.com: Eduardo Najera Bio Page He was the second Mexican player to be drafted into the NBA (Horacio Llamas being the first). Nájera played for the Mexican team in the 1997 World University Games and helped them achieve a fourth place finish in the 1999 World University Games. He saw significant action as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000-01 and 2001-02, but recurrent knee injuries limited his action in his last two years in Dallas. He played at the first-ever Basketball Without Borders Americas tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the 2004 NBA Summer of Goodwill. NBA.com, Eduardo Najera, Bio page He was then traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he put in modest minutes and was a solid contributor. He was then sent to the Nuggets, where he played great despite injuries. Also in 2006, an exhibition match was played in Monterrey, Mexico, between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets. On April 27, 2006, Nájera started his first playoff game for the Nuggets in Game 3 of their first round series facing the Los Angeles Clippers. He replaced Kenyon Martin who was suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team". He was partly involved in the December 2006 Knicks-Nuggets brawl. While not involved in the actual fighting, he did try to separate the players. He was ejected from the game. On July 11, he signed a contract with the New Jersey Nets for 4 years $12 million.Nets reach agreements with Najera, Hayes - NBA - SI.com As the oldest player currently on the team's roster, he is considered one of the team's leaders. And he stated that he would make it a point to turn the Nets' young forwards Yi Jianlian and Ryan Anderson and center Brook Lopez into stronger, tougher players. Najera turned down more money and a chance to return to his college state, Oklahoma City Thunder. He also turned down an offer from a championship contender in the New Orleans Hornets in order to take a chance to lead a young and talented New Jersey team. See also *Photo Gallery - Photos featuring i category:Born in 1976 Category:NBA D-League head coaches Category:Texas Legends head coaches Category:Mexican basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players Category:Foreign NBA players Category:New Jersey Nets players Category:Dallas Mavericks players Category:Golden State Warriors players Category:Denver Nuggets players Category:Charlotte Bobcats players Category:Houston Rockets draft picks Category:Oklahoma Alumni Category:Retired Category:Players who wear/wore number 14 Category:Players who wear/wore number 21